1999 Toyota 4 Runner

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED IT REVVED VERY FAST. THE CONSUMER REMOVED THE KEY BUT THE VEHICLE WAS STILL ON AND THE ENGINE WAS STILL REVVING. SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE , AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED. A FIRE REPORT TAKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP THE FOLLOWING MORNING. THE WATER PUMP, STARTER, AND THE BELTS WERE DESTROYED. THE FIRE STARTED IN THE STARTER. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED. *AK UPDATED 1/25/2006 - *NM

MY VEHICLE: 1999 TOYOTA 4RUNNER LIMITED W/ PORT INSTALLED AUTO DIMMING MIRROR THE + AND - WIRE THAT GOES TO THE AUTO DIMMING MIRROR WERE ACCIDENTALLY SHORTED ALMOST CAUSING A FIRE. HERE'S THE PROBLEM AS TO WHY IT'S A FIRE HAZARD: IT TURNS OUT THAT WHEN THE MIRROR WAS INSTALLED (EITHER PORT OPTION OR DEALER OPTION ON LIMITED'S AND SR5'S W/ SUNROOFS - NOT INSTALLED IN JAPAN), THEY JUST RAN A WIRE (ACTUALLY TWO - A GROUND AND A "HOT" WIRE MATED TOGETHER) DOWN TO THE DRIVER SIDE KICK PANEL AND "HOPPED" THE HOT WIRE ONTO A HOT LEAD OF THE POWER ACCESSORY CIRCUIT COMING FROM THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THIS CIRCUIT IS ON A 30 AMP SLOW-BURN FUSE. THIS CREATES A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IF THE WIRES TO THE MIRROR WERE TO CROSS SOMEHOW - AS THEY DID FOR ME. THE FUSE WILL NOT IMMEDIATELY BLOW AND THE WIRES CAN GET HOT ENOUGH TO IGNITE THE INSULATION OR SURROUNDING MATERIAL BEFORE THE SLOW-BLOW FUSE WILL EVENTUALLY BREAK THE CIRCUIT. THIS CAN TAKE AS LONG AS 10 SECONDS DEPENDING ON CURRENT AND HEAT GENERATED IN THE SLOW-BURN FUSE. *JB

1999 4 RUNNER SR5. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT I HAVE HARD STARTING, INTERMITTENT (POOR, ROUGH) IDLE AND SOME TIME NOT IDLE. AT HIGH ELEVATION, I HAVE EXTREMELY POOR GAS MILEAGE. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL DEALER SERVICES INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM. DEALERS WERE NOT ABLE TO ISOLATE PROBLEM. HOW I DEALT WITH IT OVER THE YEARS. NEVER USED THE VEHICLE OTHER THAN AT SEA LEVEL AND PUMP THROTTLE WHEN IDLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE RETAINED. *JB

THE FOLLOWING WORK ORDER WAS GIVEN TO ME. FOUND DCT # PO420 INEFFECIENT CATALYTIC CONVERTER. TESTED A/F SENSOR IT WAS GOOD, IT MEASURED 1.8 OHMS. TESTED 02 SENSOR IT MEASURED 19.0 OHMS N@ 1800 DEGREES. DIAGNOSED SWITCHED GROUNDS AT E.C.U. E10 # 8 AND # 17 . REMOVED AND SWITCHED WIRES TO THE CORRECT POSITIONS. ERACED CODE IN ECU MEMORY.